UK broadband comes in three main flavours: ADSL, FTTC, and FTTP. The acronyms sound like alphabet soup, but they represent fundamentally different technologies delivering dramatically different performance.
Understanding these differences matters because your connection type determines:
– Maximum speeds available
– Reliability and consistency
– Future-proofing as older networks retire
– What you should actually pay
This guide cuts through the jargon to explain exactly what each technology offers, how they compare, and which makes sense for your household in 2026.
The Three Technologies Explained Simply
ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line)
What it is: Internet delivered entirely over old copper telephone lines
Range: Up to 24 Mbps download, 1 Mbps upload (theoretical maximum)
Reality: Average 10 Mbps, dramatically slower beyond 2km from exchange
ADSL was revolutionary in the early 2000s but is now obsolete technology. Copper phone lines were never designed for internet—they’re repurposed infrastructure from the 1950s-70s.
Physical setup:
Telephone exchange → Copper phone lines → Your home
Every inch is copper cable, suffering from signal degradation, electrical interference, and distance limitations.
FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet)
What it is: Hybrid fibre-copper connection
Range: Up to 80 Mbps download, 20 Mbps upload
Reality: Average 67 Mbps, varies by distance from street cabinet
FTTC brought fibre optic cables to street cabinets (those green boxes in your neighborhood), but still uses copper phone lines for the final connection to your home.
Physical setup:
Telephone exchange → Fibre optic cables → Street cabinet (300m-1km away) → Copper phone lines → Your home
The copper “last mile” still limits performance, but fibre for most of the journey delivers dramatically better speeds than pure ADSL.
FTTP (Fibre to the Premises)
What it is: Pure fibre optic connection all the way to your home
Range: 100 Mbps to 10 Gbps
Reality: Most packages offer 100-900 Mbps symmetric speeds
Also called FTTH (Fibre to the Home) or “full fibre”, FTTP eliminates copper entirely. Glass fibre optic cables run directly from the exchange to a termination point inside your property.
Physical setup:
Telephone exchange → Fibre optic cables → Your home
No copper means no degradation, no interference, and dramatically higher capacity.
Speed Comparison: Real-World Performance
Theoretical maximums mean little. Here’s what users actually experience:
ADSL Speeds by Distance
| Distance from Exchange | Typical Download | Typical Upload |
|————————|——————|—————-|
| 0-1 km | 15-20 Mbps | 0.8-1 Mbps |
| 1-2 km | 10-15 Mbps | 0.5-0.8 Mbps |
| 2-3 km | 5-10 Mbps | 0.3-0.5 Mbps |
| 3-4 km | 2-5 Mbps | 0.2-0.3 Mbps |
| 4-5 km | 0.5-2 Mbps | 0.1-0.2 Mbps |
| 5km+ | Often unusable | Often unusable |
Key limitation: Distance kills ADSL performance. Live 4km from your exchange and even checking email becomes frustrating.
FTTC Speeds by Distance
| Distance from Cabinet | Typical Download | Typical Upload |
|———————–|——————|—————-|
| 0-300m | 70-80 Mbps | 18-20 Mbps |
| 300-500m | 60-70 Mbps | 15-18 Mbps |
| 500-1000m | 40-60 Mbps | 10-15 Mbps |
| 1000m+ | 20-40 Mbps | 5-10 Mbps |
Key limitation: Still distance-dependent, but street cabinets are closer than exchanges. Most homes within 500m get good performance.
FTTP Speeds
| Package | Download | Upload |
|———|———-|——–|
| FTTP 100 | 100 Mbps | 100 Mbps |
| FTTP 150 | 150 Mbps | 150 Mbps |
| FTTP 500 | 500 Mbps | 500 Mbps |
| FTTP 900 | 900 Mbps | 900 Mbps |
Key advantage: Distance irrelevant. Performance consistent regardless of how far you are from the exchange. Speeds are symmetric—upload matches download.
Upload Speed: The Critical Difference
Most people focus on download speeds, but upload matters for:
– Video calls (Zoom, Teams, FaceTime)
– Cloud backups
– Uploading photos/videos
– Gaming online
– Working from home
– Live streaming
Upload Speed Comparison
ADSL: 0.5-1 Mbps
– Can’t handle video calls reliably
– Cloud backups take days
– Sharing large files frustrating
FTTC: 10-20 Mbps
– Video calls work adequately
– Cloud backups feasible
– Working from home viable
FTTP: 100-900 Mbps (symmetric)
– Multiple simultaneous video calls
– Instant cloud backups
– Professional content creation possible
– Future-proofed capacity
Reliability and Consistency
Speed means nothing if connections drop constantly.
ADSL Reliability Issues
Electrical interference: Copper cables act like antennas, picking up interference from:
– Power lines
– Electric motors
– Fluorescent lights
– Household appliances
Weather sensitivity:
– Rain increases line noise
– Cold weather affects connections
– Wind moves overhead cables
Line quality degradation:
– Copper corrodes over time
– Connections loosen in junction boxes
– Degradation accelerates in damp conditions
Result: ADSL speeds and stability vary significantly hour-to-hour.
FTTC Reliability Issues
Residual copper problems:
– Short copper run still affected by interference (less than ADSL)
– Weather still impacts final connection
– Line quality matters for last segment
Cabinet failures:
– Street cabinets can overheat
– Power failures affect cabinet equipment
– Vandalism/damage more common than exchange faults
Result: More stable than ADSL but still subject to environmental factors.
FTTP Reliability Benefits
Immune to interference:
– Glass fibres don’t conduct electricity
– No electromagnetic interference
– Weather-proof signal transmission
Fewer failure points:
– No street cabinet equipment
– Direct fibre run reduces connection points
– Modern infrastructure built to higher standards
Result: Industry data shows FTTP has 70% fewer faults than copper-based connections.
Availability Across the UK
Who can actually get each technology?
ADSL Availability
– Coverage: 99%+ of UK premises
– Reality: Being switched off by January 2027
– Status: Legacy technology, no new installs
FTTC Availability
– Coverage: 95%+ of UK premises
– Reality: Also being phased out (slower timeline than ADSL)
– Retirement: Most areas by 2030
– Status: Transitional technology
FTTP Availability (2026)
– Coverage: 85%+ of UK premises
– Growing: 3-5% coverage added annually
– Networks: Openreach, Virgin Media, CityFibre, altnets
– Status: Current and future standard
Check your address:
– Openreach: openreach.com/fibre-checker
– Virgin Media: virginmedia.com/broadband/availability
– CityFibre: cityfibre.com
Cost Comparison (2026 Pricing)
Surprisingly, newer technology isn’t necessarily more expensive:
ADSL Pricing
– Typical cost: £20-25/month
– Problem: Poor value for money given speeds
– Availability: Few providers still offering new ADSL contracts
FTTC Pricing
– Entry level (36 Mbps): £23-28/month
– Standard (67 Mbps): £25-32/month
– Value proposition: Reasonable for casual users
FTTP Pricing
– FTTP 150: £25-30/month
– FTTP 500: £35-42/month
– FTTP 900: £38-48/month
– Value proposition: Best price-to-performance ratio
Price-per-Mbps comparison:
– ADSL: £2-2.50 per Mbps
– FTTC: £0.40-0.60 per Mbps
– FTTP: £0.05-0.30 per Mbps
FTTP delivers 8-10x better value than ADSL.
Installation Differences
What’s involved in getting each technology:
ADSL Installation
– Time: 1-2 weeks typical
– Engineer: Usually not required
– Physical work: Uses existing phone line
– Disruption: Minimal
FTTC Installation
– Time: 2-3 weeks typical
– Engineer: Required if phone line needs work
– Physical work: May need new socket fitting
– Disruption: 2-4 hours engineer visit
FTTP Installation
– Time: 3-6 weeks typical
– Engineer: Always required
– Physical work:
– Fibre cable routed to property boundary
– Internal cable run from entry point to installation location
– ONT (Optical Network Terminal) box mounted
– 15cm external box on outside wall (may need Listed Building Consent)
– Disruption: 4-8 hours engineer visit
– Consent needed: Sometimes requires wayleave agreement from landlord
FTTP installation is more involved but only happens once. The permanent infrastructure then lasts decades.
The PSTN Switch-Off: Why This Matters Now
Critical deadline: January 2027
The UK is retiring its copper phone network (PSTN – Public Switched Telephone Network). This affects:
– All ADSL broadband
– Traditional landline phones
– Some FTTC connections (depends on configuration)
What This Means
ADSL users: Must upgrade to FTTC, FTTP, or alternative by January 2027
FTTC users: May need to migrate to SOGEa (Single Order Generic Ethernet Access) or full fibre
FTTP users: Unaffected—already on future-proof technology
Action needed:
– Check if your area has full fibre availability
– Plan upgrades before forced migration in 2027
– FTTP is the future-proof choice
Use Case: Which Technology for What?
ADSL Suitable For
– Absolutely no one in 2026
– Being retired in 12 months
– Don’t sign new ADSL contracts
FTTC Suitable For
– Single-person households: Light internet usage
– Basic needs: Email, browsing, streaming one device
– Temporary solution: Until FTTP available
– Budget constraint: If FTTP costs significantly more
– Short-term rental: Not worth FTTP installation for 6-month lets
FTTP Suitable For
– Working from home: Multiple video calls simultaneously
– Families: 3+ people streaming/gaming/browsing
– Content creators: Uploading videos, live streaming
– Smart homes: Multiple IoT devices
– Future-proofing: Technology that won’t need upgrading
– Gaming: Low latency, fast downloads
– Anyone planning to stay 2+ years: Installation effort worthwhile
Technical Specifications
For the technically curious:
Latency (Ping)
ADSL: 30-50ms typical, spikes to 100ms+ common
FTTC: 15-30ms typical, relatively stable
FTTP: 5-15ms typical, very stable
Lower latency matters for:
– Online gaming
– Video conferencing
– VoIP calls
– Real-time applications
Jitter
ADSL: High variability (15-30ms)
FTTC: Moderate variability (5-15ms)
FTTP: Low variability (<5ms)
Jitter affects connection consistency—critical for stable video calls and gaming.
Packet Loss
ADSL: 0.5-2% typical
FTTC: 0.1-0.5% typical
FTTP: <0.1% typical
Even 1% packet loss causes noticeable quality issues.
Environmental and Running Costs
Power Consumption
ADSL modem: 5-10W
FTTC router: 10-15W
FTTP ONT + router: 15-25W
Annual electricity cost difference: £3-8 maximum—negligible compared to performance benefits.
Environmental Impact
FTTP benefits:
– Lower power per bit transmitted
– Reduced infrastructure maintenance
– Longer equipment lifespan
– Modern energy-efficient equipment
Fibre is more environmentally friendly per GB of data transferred.
Common Misconceptions
“Fibre broadband” marketing confusion
Many providers advertise “fibre broadband” for FTTC. This is technically true but misleading:
– FTTC: Partial fibre (cabinet to exchange)
– FTTP: Full fibre (exchange to home)
Always check for “full fibre”, “FTTP”, or “FTTH” terminology for genuine fibre-to-premises.
“I don’t need fast broadband”
This was true 10 years ago. Today:
– Average UK household has 10+ connected devices
– HD/4K streaming is standard
– Video calls are routine for work and family
– Cloud services constantly syncing
– Smart home devices require connectivity
– Games are 100GB+ downloads
ADSL struggles with modern internet usage patterns. Even basic usage benefits from FTTC minimum.
“FTTP is too expensive”
2020: FTTP cost £10-20/month more than FTTC
2026: FTTP often costs same or less than equivalent FTTC packages
Value: Price-per-Mbps makes FTTP the budget option for performance
Which Should You Choose?
Choose FTTP if:
– ✅ Available at your address
– ✅ Planning to stay 12+ months
– ✅ Working from home
– ✅ Multiple people in household
– ✅ Gaming or streaming regularly
– ✅ Want future-proof connection
Settle for FTTC if:
– ⚠️ FTTP genuinely not available
– ⚠️ Short-term rental (under 12 months)
– ⚠️ Extremely tight budget (£5-10/month difference matters)
– ⚠️ Landlord refuses FTTP installation permission
Avoid ADSL because:
– ❌ Being switched off January 2027
– ❌ Terrible performance for price
– ❌ Unreliable technology
– ❌ No viable reason to choose it in 2026
Upgrading: The Migration Path
From ADSL to FTTP
Process:
Overlap: Keep old ADSL active until FTTP installed to maintain connectivity.
From FTTC to FTTP
Process:
Can often switch providers simultaneously: Good opportunity to shop around for better deals.
The 2027 Deadline: Taking Action
With PSTN switch-off looming:
Timeline:
– Now-June 2026: Ideal upgrade window—no rush, best deals available
– July-December 2026: Getting busy—book early for convenient installation slots
– January 2027: Deadline—last-minute chaos, limited installer availability
Recommendation: If still on ADSL or FTTC, research FTTP options now. Don’t wait for forced migration when installers are overwhelmed.
The choice between ADSL, FTTC, and FTTP is increasingly simple in 2026:
FTTP whenever available. Full stop.
It’s faster, more reliable, future-proof, and increasingly cost-competitive. The installation inconvenience is a one-time event for permanent benefit.
FTTC remains acceptable as a transitional technology when FTTP genuinely isn’t available, but treat it as temporary—FTTP rollout continues expanding coverage monthly.
ADSL is dead technology walking. If you’re still on ADSL, you have 12 months to migrate. Use them wisely.
Check your address for FTTP availability today. The difference between 10 Mbps ADSL and 150 Mbps symmetric FTTP transforms your entire online experience—often for similar monthly costs.
Your broadband infrastructure choice matters for the next 5-10 years. Choose the technology built for the 2020s, not the 1990s.
